What Causes Cervical Cancer?
Plus, 6 Warning Signs Every Woman Should Know
Early detection is critical, but signs and symptoms of cervical cancer can be tough to spot. Here's what you should know that could help save your life.
What Is Cervical Cancer?
About 13,000 American women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). While that may not seem like a lot—especially when compared with the rate of breast cancer, which roughly one in eight women will develop in their lifetime—it's still the third most common gynecologic cancer in the United States, says Caryn St. Clair, M.D., gynecologic oncologist at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center.
The good news: Thanks largely to the Pap smear, human papillomavirus (HPV) testing, and the HPV vaccine, there's been a significant decrease in cervical cancer risk in developed countries over the last 50 years, says Dr. St. Clair. What's more, experts anticipate the number of new cases of cervical cancer will continue to decline in women who have been vaccinated.
Now, for the not-so-great news: Signs of cervical cancer can be easily missed because its symptoms mimic those of many other conditions. And if it's not caught early, survival rates drop rapidly. Here's what you need to know.
